Computing desk
< February 12	<< Jan \| February \| Mar >>	February 14 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Computing Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

February 13

C Drive storage board affect

If I change the system board on my Dell Studio 17 laptop, then will it have any affect on the C Drive? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.29.32.124 (talk) 01:28, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

It shouldn't presuming you don't damage the drive while changing the board. Also, if the board is significantly different, then it's possible your OS won't be able to properly start. (Windows 8 should, Windows 7 may not without work.) I'm presuming a relatively modern laptop but a mid or high end one so using a hard drive or real SSD, so the drive will definitely be able to connect to the board no matter what you change it to as it uses SATA, not eMMC or PATA or something other than SATA. Nil Einne (talk) 03:40, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

A damage to the filesystem may occur if the geometry of the drive is not correctly set or the size of the drive is not supported. Some commercial operating systems may be to get registreated again to prevent illegal copies. The drivers on the installend operating system need to support the chipset on the new mainboard. If not, repair from CD/DVD (careful, do not reinstall or format. This will destroy your data) or "safe mode" can help. Some BIOSes can have a password to encrypt the hard drive. Same encrypting technonogy would require the same password to decrypt and access the data on the drive including the operating system, if set. If no drive password set, adapters or bridges are avail to connect internal drives over USB as external drive for file copy and backup data. --Hans Haase (有问题吗) 10:46, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Music making software

What is the best best best music making software for PC? Can you insert an/a music file into the software and stream out every/each single instrument it plays including the vocal (if it is available)? Can you save them individually with and without modifying them? Can you input you own (extra notes of the same or different instrument) thought? Can you insert more than ten music file/CD/Mp3/4/Wav etc. into one software stream out their instruments and vocals, modify if wished with a soft/hard digital piano/guitar/any instrument and make your own music in a whole?

What software will provide such facilities?

Note: I don’t have a hard digital piano/guitar/any instrument but in the near future I might get one/some… I’m looking for a software now… A good one… the best one that I don’t ever have to change in the near future… Whatever software you guys mention, I’ll be stuck with it and its updates for the rest of my life… Please direct me a good one that I'll never ever change…

(Angelos|Angelus (talk) 08:45, 13 February 2015 (UTC))[reply]

It is generally considered impossible to extract separate instruments from a music file (mp3, wav etc) (though some people have reported limited success for some special cases). If you want separate scores for different instruments, you need a completely different type of file called a MIDI file which is basically a list of instructions for playing notes. If you buy an instrument with a MIDI interface, you can record what you play as a musical score, modify this, and get your instrument to play the computer score. It is easy to convert from MIDI to mp3 (though the conversion will sound different depending on what hardware and software you use), but impossible to convert (in general) from mp3 to MIDI. You might like to look through Category:Music software to see what different types of software are available, and List of MIDI editors and sequencers if you are interested in MIDI. If you want a recommendation, Sibelius (software) claims to be the world's best-selling, and I recall from more than 20 years ago that it was then the best available. I've no idea whether it has retained this superlative because it is too expensive for me! Dbfirs 09:42, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

That is not the news I was expecting Dbfirs. This is a depressing news... I'll read through your guided information.

Thank you for the recommendation, speaking of which, are you aware of the Mac music making software? What the musician's use? I've used MAC 15 years ago, making music with it, which included a hardboard piano and could be tuned into any desired instruments. Once the notes are inserted into the MAC, they could be modified. You can also create notes without using the hardboard piano, by using the software. Mac is not my kind of thing, but the music making software was. I've done a research a long time ago for that software, I kind of forgotten the name again, what I can recall it is an expensive software used by many musicians, and is hard to use... I'm looking for something similar, cost effective or even free would do the trick. The software you recomended, it looks good, reminded me of old times when I use to draw/write the notes... I'll search for the software and let you know if I find it... -- (Angelos|Angelus (talk) 21:27, 13 February 2015 (UTC))[reply]

Sorry to disappoint you, but wav and mp3 files (also CDs etc) are just codings for the actual continuous frequency variations all mixed together, and this is completely different from the MIDI instructions for creating a note of a given frequency and timbre. I remember Sibelius from when it was first written for the Archimedes computer, but it has been available on the Mac for many years. I use NoteWorthy Composer which is much cheaper. You might find that some simple MIDI editing software is included when you buy a MIDI-enabled instrument. Dbfirs 23:47, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not rich. If there are good softwares than I can try looking for them in this 3rd World country I'm in... I don't have a hardboard piano either. Since I'm wishing to get back into music, I do wish for a software that I can stick to, which possess almost all the facilities... I'll get into this NoteWorthy Composer when I top up for my internet next time. I also found this ^[1], so I'll give it a try... Thank you for making me understand... I appreciate it.

-- (Angelos|Angelus (talk) 01:41, 14 February 2015 (UTC))[reply]

References

^ http://en.kioskea.net/download/download-14800-noteworthy-composer

If you're looking to record music, rather than extract instrumental tracks from existing recordings, take a look at programs like Rosegarden (which is more aimed at composing), Audacity or Ardour, (both of which are aimed at recording, mixing and sound engineering). GoldenRing (talk) 00:43, 17 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Okay. Thanks. -- (Angelos|Angelus (talk) 05:02, 17 February 2015 (UTC))[reply]

Question

I want to publish my page How can I do this? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ahmedzamanirabwah (talk • contribs) 09:57, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Assuming you're asking about publishing information in Wikipedia:
See

and in general

Wikipedia:Contributing to Wikipedia

Consider also

Regards, CiaPan (talk) 10:14, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

If you mean your userpage in the wikipedia project, just click your username in your signature and create the page. At the moment it is displayed red, indicating it is not existing.

If your publication is knowledge what is out of the wikipedia project scope, it may have a place in the Wikibooks project. Check that guidelines. --Hans Haase (有问题吗) 10:36, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

... though in view of the warning on your talk page, you might be advised to publish your page elsewhere. I wonder what it was that you published last month that has been removed? Dbfirs 10:38, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

It was a deleted [1] advertisement on the user talk page itself, with stuff like "Our first and last priority will always be to provide the best and proper services to all of our customers." PrimeHunter (talk) 14:24, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I suspected that it was something inappropriate to Wikipedia. There are always a few editors who think that an encyclopaedia is for advertising. Dbfirs 15:04, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Best type of screen for Netflix and gaming

I'd like to get a big monitor to use as a second screen for my laptop. Ideally it would work as a Netflix screen, to watch from the sofa across the room, and a gaming monitor that I'd sit in front of at my desk. As well as the usual typing and web browsing of course. Anyone care to suggest a type of screen that can do sharp accurate TV colours as well as a fast refresh rate for gaming? If the answer is "buy a TV", what options should I be looking for there please? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 31.107.223.15 (talk) 18:04, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Using the same screen for both across the room and up close is very iffy. You want an extremely sharp image for up close, which means a PC monitor, with at least 1080 resolution. The sharpness is needed to read small text.

For across the room, you want a large screen TV, but it doesn't need to be as sharp. Now, there's a bit of overlap with say a 32 inch 1080 screen TV. I have a Philips TV I use for both, at a distance of about 2 feet from my eyes. That not "across the room" but about as far as you would want if you also want to be able to read small text on it.

As far as options, just make sure it can accept the input from your PC. Older PCs will require a D-sub (VGA) connection, while newer ones might have an HDMI output. You will also need a compatible audio input, unless both support the version of HDMI which has audio included. I suggest an LCD TV with LED backlight (which is frequently marketed, misleadingly, as an "LED TV"). Also, if your TV has poor audio, like mine, you will want to use external speakers, so make sure it has an audio output jack. (You could also send the audio directly from the PC to the external speakers, but then your TV remote won't control the volume.) StuRat (talk) 21:53, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, and as far as Netflix goes, I've had much better luck using a set-top box (mine is LG) to send the video directly to my TV than I have using my PC, which always seems to lock up, pause, and get the audio out of synch with the video. Now I have an older PC, so perhaps you won't have the same problems, but PCs in general seem to just decide to do some update or something else right in the middle of a movie, and you need a lot of power to overcome a disadvantage like that without causing viewing problems. StuRat (talk) 22:00, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

If you want accurate color reproduction, you probably shouldn't get a TN display, which is the most common and cheapest type of LCD/"LED" display. They show correct colors only if you look at them from just the right angle. I think most other display types (including other types of LCD) will have no problem accurately reproducing the whole sRGB gamut, although you might need to recalibrate them since they are sometimes configured to oversaturate the colors by default.

If you want pixel accuracy for laptop use then be careful of TVs, especially if they have no digital input except HDMI. I think that many of them crop and resample the HDMI input even if the display resolution is 1920×1080. -- BenRG (talk) 22:47, 13 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Also, a 4K resolution TV might be worth consideration. They seem a bit silly for use as a TV alone right now, due to the expense and the lack of 4K titles available for them, but if you could get that resolution out of your PC, and display it on the TV, then that gives you a good reason to buy it, and maybe TV titles will later become available in that format. (Of course, you can also watch current titles at a lower resolution.) StuRat (talk) 01:54, 14 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

We should also discuss interlaced (like 1080i) versus progressive scan (like 1080p). The interlaced video doesn't handle motion as well, so avoid that, if you can. The problem is, for TV at least, I think the only way to avoid that is to go to the lower HD resolution of 720p. Now, I don't think Netflix allows you to choose the resolution, so I'm not sure how it figures out which to send you. I know that it decreases the resolution when you have a slow connection, but I don't think they can detect the resolution of your TV and send you an appropriate signal (maybe with a set-top box they can). StuRat (talk)

Any decent TV should be able to handle at least 1080P60 via HDMI without issue. I'm using one right now in fact. BenRG has a good point above about TVs still showing overscanning like behaviour, but with the increasing popularity it does seem TVs are providing the option to turn this off, at least with one of the inputs (in my case the input doesn't matter, you just have to turn on the "just scan" option. The other problem that can arise with TVs is input lag.

Since TVs can do a fair bit of preprocessing before displaying the signal, latency can be high enought be noticeable to some. (This is perhaps an oversimplification, see [2].) Again, TVs are increasingly letting you reduce this in some fashion but whethere it's enough for you may vary. I can't say it's something that's ever been a problem for me, but I don't play FPSes that much, and I've never been that good at them anyway, so may be I'm just not noticing. (I also live in NZ, so for multiplayer, depending on the availability of local servers, I will often have far worse network latency anyway. And I'm not that competitive when it comes to single player.)

Also, while TN's colour problems are real, it's not quite true that IPS etc are perfect. In fact, some IPS and other panels are 6 bit with FRC, see [3] or the earlier link. However they do have far better viewing angles. On the other hand, this tends to come at the expense of response time. IPS etc are better than they were, but TN is AFAIK still the best hence why high refresh displays tend to be TN. Although I'm fairly sure my 3D TV isn't TN and can do 120Hz, but only in 3D mode. There's no way to do 720P120 in 2D even though HDMI has the bandwidth to support it. I don't think TV is particularly common for large TVs because their viewing angles are just too poor for what people expect from TVs (but I could be wrong).

StuRat is correct that text size can be an issue if you're using it from across the room for web browsing. Using a higher "DPI" setting helps, but there is a limit to how fa you can go before programs (which often expect at least 1280x720 resolution which is effectively what you get with 150%/"144DPI" in Windows on a 1080P display) start to have problems. Plus "DPI scaling" is still a mess on Windows thanks to shitty program support (most MS programs are decent now but anything non MS is suspect). Thankfully the rise of high PPI displays has meant this is finally getting attention after 15 years or whatever it's been.

P.S. I don't use Netflix much at all, most of my stuff is downloaded. However I have no problem with 10 bit h264. I think I may be able to even do 1080P h265 but I've never tried. When I have used Hulu, similarly no problem. I see no reason why it would be an issue for any remotely decent modern PC with a browser which isn't loaded with all sorts of junk (you could always use a dedicated browser). Realisticly anything that costs over US$400 or so will have no problem, and probably even less. And since gaming was mentioned, I see even less reason why you would have a problem.

Nil Einne (talk) 12:14, 15 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

[1] ttp://en.kioskea.net/download/download-14800-noteworthy-composer

[1]